Heading into the 2016-17 season, many believed ASU men’s swimming team had one of the strongest butterfly groups in the nation.
Often proper coaching can make all the difference, and the No.11 ASU men’s swimming team has that and then some in head coach Bob Bowman.
“Bob is the coach to the greatest butterflier that ever lived,” associate head coach Ryan Mallam said. “I don’t know if that is a coincidence or not, but it is probably why our butterflies are so strong."
Junior Patrick Park and graduate senior Andrew Porter have led the way for the Sun Devils. Park has earned multiple victories in the 200-fly, and Porter claimed victory in the 100-fly against USC.
Bowman has earned a lot of credit for the Sun Devils’ butterfly success, and rightfully so. After all, Olympic legend Michael Phelps learned the stroke from him.
"Bob rounds it out with the stroke technique,” Park said. “He has been coaching Michael for all these years, so he has some stroke off his sleeve.”
However, specialized coaching at practice is the secret ingredient for success, according to multiple members of the team.
For Andrew Porter, executing underwaters is critical in the 100-fly, and senior assistant coach Misty Hyman is one of the best in the business.
ASU graduate senior Andrew Porter working on his butterfly at practice. pic.twitter.com/9JQ2QUg625
— Joe Jacquez (@joejacquezaz) November 11, 2016
“Misty comes at it with a real undulation aspect combined with her underwater technique,” Porter said.
Porter said he is doing more power-endurance sets as part of training with Mallam.
"Over with the buckets, putting on weight belts, socks, kicking and working more on the details, but then combining that with how long I can keep my maximum power for a full 100," Porter said.
One of Bowman’s tricks is his grueling drills that push individuals to hit certain intervals, based on the times they are working towards. Porter believes these sets help prepare everybody for the final days of NCAA Championships.
“We have these grueling test sets that you're like: ‘I don’t know if I am going to make it through this,' but you just do it,” Porter said. “He wants to get you to that place where you're so out of breath you can’t really think straight, you just got to do it.”
Adding Phelps to the fold this season has only enhanced Porter and Park’s knowledge of the stroke.
“A lot of the time it is things that you're like, 'Duh I should have been doing this all along,' so it is nice to have an extra set of eyes that have been in these sets,” Porter said.
With his focus centered on his family and company, Phelps hasn’t spent significant time on the deck working with Bowman.
But, as a volunteer assistant, he occasionally provides meaningful tips to the team, which can go a long way.
“His presence is such a key factor,” Park said. “One of these days, he is going to show up for a dual meet, and that presence of a legacy he threw down in the sport.”
Porter said he realizes Phelps could have gotten a paid coaching job at the school of his choice, so he hasn’t wasted any time picking the 28-time Olympic medalist's brain.
Watching Phelps swim Bowman’s sets with ease only motivates Porter to try harder.
“What the top tier swimmers should be capable of in butterfly, Michael obviously sets the bar as high as it goes,” Porter said. “To be able to see that really gives you an idea of where you can head.”
With so many resources available, don't be surprised if Porter and Park exceed expectations with flying colors.
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Reach the reporter at jpjacqu1@asu.edu or follow @joejacquezaz on Twitter.
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